Buy Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR CamerasSigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras Product Description:
- Optimized for use with digital SLR cameras
- Multi-layer lens coating and lens design reduces flare and ghosting
- Minimum focusing distance is 37.4 inches at all zoom settings
- Features 14 lens elements in 10 Groups
- High-performance lens ideal for portraits, sports photography, nature photography
Product Description
Telephoto zoom lenses with tele-macro function and optimised for digital SLR cameras The performance telephoto zoom lens is capable of shooting with a maximum magnification of 1:2 at the focal length of 300 mm. It's the ideal lens for portraits, sports photography, nature photography, and other types of photography that frequently use the telephoto range. SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass This lens has two SLD glass elements in the front lens group and one in the rear lens group, the lens has excellent correction of chromatic aberration through the entire zoom range. This new DG lens is capable of macro photography with a 1:2 maximum magnification at the focal length of 300 mm. The new multi layer lens coating reduces flare and ghost, which is a common problem with digital cameras and also creates an optimum colour balance Macro shooting with maximum magnification 1:2 High optical performance is demonstrated throughout the entire zoom range. It also has a switch that converts the lens to macro photography at focal lengths between 200mm and 300mm with a minimum focusing distance of 95cm (37.4 inches). In normal mode the minimum focusing distance is 150cm (59.1 inches) at all zoom settings. Maximum magnification between 200mm and 300mm is 1:2.9 to 1:2.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
37 of 38 people found the following review helpful.
Better than Nikon 70-300 non-ED
By Sanjay S. Dubey
I have a Nikon D200 body and both Sigma APO 70-300 as well as Nikon 70-300 (non-ED) lenses. I tested both these lenses at f4 and f10 apartures and at 70mm, 200mm and 300mm focal lengths. The camera was on a tripod, mirror lockup was used and tripod/camera were not moved at all during lens changes for perfect apples-to-apples comparison. Identical sources of ambient light and identical flash settings were used for both lenses. Here are my conclusions:It was very difficult to determine which lens was sharper between the two even when blown up to large picture sizes. The colors on the pictures taken by Sigma were a little bit more appealing but again only when looked at under lot of scrutiny. The depth of field on Sigma was shallower at f4 vs the Nikon which is both good (for portraits) and bad (for non-portrait pictures). Sigma always produced brighter pictures compared to Nikon lens but that can be compensated by always over-exposing the Nikon. I can say safely that a picture taken by the Nikon with one stop higher exposure is comparable to the picture taken by Sigma with Sigma winning by a very small margin only and in terms of color richness only when the pictures are blown up to large sizes.When you switch the Sigma to macro mode it sort of becomes an apples-to-oranges comparison since the Nikon does not have a macro mode. To make it a fair test I used Nikon's published lowest focusing distance for both Nikon and Sigma lenses and switched the Sigma to macro mode. Sigma was slightly better than Nikon again when put under lot of scrutiny.CONCLUSION:I was absolutely thrilled with the closeups that the Sigma took that the Nikon could never have taken since Nikon does not have the macro mode. If taking closeups or macro pictures is not a goal for you, Sigma is only marginally better than Nikon so whether you spend the extra $50 for the Sigma APO or not is up to you. Happy shooting...
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful.Best telephoto lens for the price
By Caveman017
You can't go out and spend around $200 for a telephoto lens and expect it to perform like a $700 or $1300 lens, not going to happen. I think for the price range its a great addition, especially with the useful macro capibilities. Sure its not as fast of a focuser as Nikon's AF-S lenses, but it's also about 1/3 the price. The sharpest point for this lens is 70-220 at F/8, but thats not saying that the pictures are otherwsie unusable. As for indoor use, you need a flash. As mentioned before it really is too slow to use indoors (thats what primes are for anyways) but for the price, quality of the image, its a no brainer to pick it up
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful.Surprisingly good; great value
By M. Mangano
I purchased this lens expecting something with acceptable but not high quality optics. Instead I got a lens with excellent optics, very good construction and a far better value that I thought possible. Very low distortion and excellent color correction. Good sharpness out to the corners for either full frame digital or film imaging, and excellent with smaller sensors. Smooth zoom mechanism and fast focusing.
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